When it comes to being the best, you have to train like the best. BUT, if you don’t have the luxury of time like most of us, you have to do with what you have and Massage Envy Spa massage therapist Karen Moers is taking advantage of the time given to her as she ramps up to participate in this year’s Boston Marathon. Through the generous support of the Massage Therapy Foundation and the John Hancock Non-Profit Bid Program, Karen is participating in this year’s race on Team Running for Research. We’ve asked her to share her experiences, her sights, her motivations, all in the hopes of inspiring others as she does on a daily basis.

Friday February 7, 2014 Very gross morning. 7:30am. Cold, foggy, and slightly rainy. Practically perfect running weather unless you’re tired. Lucky for me I have dog that LOVES to run so today was a get up and go day. No breakfast, no stretching, no warm up. I know…horrible running habit. I normally step out to see what I should wear but instead I just bundled up like it was freezing. It was only 50 degrees. Chloe, my dog, was sooooo excited. I love running with her but the stopping to pee every 2 mins is a bit difficult. I normally only take her out for 2-3 miles drop her off at the apartment and head back out myself.

Saturday February 8, 2014
7 a.m- Weather was overcast, ended up slightly raining mid run. Ran with some new running friends on a 7 mile course which included a trip over the bridge and back. Today I planned a little better. Ate a light breakfast, protein bar and a banana. If I know how far I’m going it’s so much easier to plan what to eat. No matter how gross it looks outside, running over the inter-coastal bridge is beautiful. I love being surrounded by water. It is very relaxing.

Monday February 10, 2014
I hate doing long runs by myself. I tend to cut corners :-/ Another running friend needed to add some extra miles so we got a head start before our normal Monday night social 5K run. Total of 10+ miles. Weather was slightly warm, sunny (finally!), and light breeze which felt amazing around mile 5 and 6. Quick snack, banana and Gatorade after mile 7. However, I forgot to plan for the evening run. It was bit colder but it was short so I managed to suck it up for the last 3 miles. I need to start packing multiple running clothes in my car to prepare for these things.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Weather was going to be awful. It was already cold out, 48*, and it was suppose to rain around 6p.m. Dark, cold, and wet. There is a group run that starts around 6:30 that I planned on going to. I wanted to get in a few extra miles and more importantly, I wanted to start running before it started raining. A friend and I started around 5:45 on the same course they planned on running. It was a nice loop that included running over 2 bridges. I actually enjoy this run because there is no crossing streets, minimal cars, a few runners and walkers, and pretty well lit at night. Unfortunately, we only got a total of 6 miles in. It was uncomfortably cold and the rain was not helping. It was one of those runs that sucked but I’m glad I at least did something.

Brunch and mimosas @ The Blind Fig

Sunday, February 16, 2014
AHHHHH!!!! 15 MILES! Weather-absolutely beautiful! Breakfast I kept simple- couple pieces of toast and coffee. I actually would have bailed on this run if it wasn’t for my friends. I didn’t get a chance to run Friday or Saturday because my homework load was ridiculous. So I knew I HAD to run today. Meet up with some friends around 8 am and headed out to Baldwin Trail. This is the perfect place to run long distances. It’s a point to point, miles are marked, and there are restrooms and water fountains along the trail. It is mainly used by bikers but open to all. I mainly enjoy it because if you run 6 or 7 miles out, you have to run back so it is a guaranteed long run. You can’t cut corners. I ran with 2 other girls, we all are training for a race next weekend. One girl only wanted to do 10 miles total, so she dropped out early. My other friend and I planned to do 15 total. She’s only training for a ½ marathon so I was stoked when she was up for 15. It was good run, a solid 10 min pace, I would’ve preferred 9:30 but I’ll take it. And the best part of long runs…BRUNCH! You work up and awesome appetite after a long run.